Coyote Knuckles in the Hood

Over a year ago I bought a print of Portland's Bridges. I purchased two of them, one for me and one for Kristi. My plan was for us to walk each of the bridges and their neighborhoods. So far we have walked only one, the Fremont. It seems like something else always comes up instead of walking a bridge. I asked her last night if she wanted to walk one today. And we almost made it but....

I drove and parked about a block away from my favorite grade school "Buckman". We could have walked west to walk the Burnside Bridge but instead I chose to walk east to show her some of my old stomping grounds.

The first stop was the "alley" house. I told her the story of the two neighbor ladies that I had given flowers to on May Day. I had picked the iris's out of "their" yards. One yelled at me and the other came over and told my mom what a wonderful daughter I was.

We head east window peaking and get to 28th. A great vintage clothing store that we have been in before and Kristi wants to pop in again. A couple of cool purchases later....




... we are headed next door to SMUT for some great finds to use in future art projects and then head to Holman's for lunch (they have fried Mac 'n Cheese).



We walk by the Davis Street house and the current owner is outside. I met him about a year ago and sent him childhood pictures that had the house in them. We talk to the lady that lives next door and learn a great Columbus Day Storm story that I had never heard. We head back towards where we had parked and I tell Kristi that I want to walk the school grounds of Buckman (though I have driven by, I have never stopped, in over 40+ years).,

Oh how I loved my time spent in that school. Every teacher there embraced me, after school Home Ec. and Art and I was the four-square champion!




New features have been added ....





...and there is still that dreaded swimming pool where I had to take lessons. I never made it off the step in the shallow end (and I am still on that same step).



We start to head back but I stop and peer into each window and touch each brick. Kristi thinks I should teach after school art classes there - I tuck that idea in my noodle.

A couple blocks away we spot an ultra cool house and go in. Very green but....no closets and there is only a tub, no shower. I don't understand the green-ness of that, but it was still cool.




One last stop at some little shops on 7th & Burnside. Inside Zeno Oddities I find a great Orange Dream Monkey for my visual journal and up at the counter they have a tray of Coyote Knuckles....what? I think I need a couple; Kristi shakes her head.



My heart is overflowing with the warmth of childhood memories. We were poor, but so rich. I'm glad we didn't make it to a bridge today and that I got to share the hood with my favorite gal.